Air distillating column with cross-undulating lining
AssigneeL'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
InventorsPierre Jeannot, Jean-Yves Lehman
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Abstract
This column, of the type having a cross-undulating lining, includes means for returning liquid to the vicinity of the edges of the lining and liquid and gas distribution means which contribute to decrease substantially the height of the column. Application to plants for separating gases from air.
Claims28
Air distillation column, including stackings of packs of structured cross-undulated packing on at least part of the height thereof, each pack comprising a bundle of rectangular undulated lamellar sheets each placed in a generally vertical plane, and against one another, waves of each lamellar sheet being oblique and downwardly directed, in opposite directions from one lamellar sheet to the next one, from a high vertical edge to a low vertical edge of the lamellar sheet, wherein the packs of packing include means for reducing HETP (height equivalent to a theoretical plate) which comprises, in at least one area of each pack, the following two characteristics:
- (a) an asymmetrical lateral deformation of said low edge and/or, in a median portion of the packing where cord of the packing has little variation, a contraction of the low edge of each lamellar sheet with respect to the upper edge of the two adjacent lamellar sheets;
- and
- (b) a sealing device around said pack and between the latter and a sleeve surrounding same, said sealing device comprising on the one hand a girdle applied against periphery of the pack and including a series of teeth inclined towards the axis of the sleeve along the lower edge thereof, and on the other hand, means sealingly connecting the girdle to the inner wall of the sleeve.
Column for the distillation of air, constituting a mean pressure column or a column for the production of impure argon, combined with the low pressure column of a plant for the distillation of air with a double column, which comprises a single continuous packing section between a fluid inlet/outlet unit provided at the bottom portion of the column and a fluid inlet/outlet unit provided at the top of said column, said packing section comprising a stacking of structured packing of the cross-undulated type, each pack comprising a bundle of rectangular undulated lamellar sheets each disposed in a vertical plane and against one another, waves of each lamellar sheet being downwardly oblique, in opposite directions from one lamellar sheet to the next one, from one high vertical edge to a low vertical edge of the lamellar sheet.
Column for the distillation of air, constituting the low pressure column of a plant for the distillation of air with a double column and a column for the production of impure argon, wherein the section for the separation of oxygen and argon consists of a single continuous packing section, on the one hand between a lower fluid inlet/outlet unit comprising means for withdrawing oxygen, and on the other hand an upper fluid inlet/outlet unit comprising means for withdrawing gas and feeding same to the column for the production of argon and for re-injecting liquid at the bottom of this column, said packing section consisting of a stack of packs of structured packing of the cross-undulated type, each pack comprising a bundle of rectangular undulated lamellar sheets each disposed in a generally vertical plane and against one another, the waves of each lamellar sheet being downwardly oblique, in opposite directions from one lamellar sheet to the next one, from a high vertical edge to a low vertical edge of the lamellar sheet.
Distillation column, which comprises:
- a main sleeve:
- a first distillation section, or upper section, including packing, bound by an auxiliary sleeve disposed inside the main sleeve, the two sleeves defining therebetween an annular space;
- gas outlet means adapted for withdrawing gas from said annular space;
- a second distillation section, or lower section, including packing, of larger diameter than the first section and mounted underneath the latter;
- a combined distributor for collecting liquid falling from the upper section and re-distributing same in the lower section, collecting gas from the lower section and re-distributing same in the upper section and in the annular space, supporting the upper section and possibly counter-supporting the lower section;
- and
- liquid inlet means into the column, said means adapted to introduce liquid essentially in the central area of the distributor, so as to displace towards the periphery of the distributor, liquid already present in this central region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.